Lingenfelter said the vote did not mean that residents don't want a new library, so the town will keep treating a library project as a priority. "We're going to have to start looking at new sites," he said.

In the past, sites such as the office building next to McAlister Intermediate School, the vacant Bridge Street School, land next to town hall and land across from Spaulding School have been considered, he said.

Bob White, library commission chairman, said Thursday that since there has never been a backup plan in case the library proposal failed, he would set up a special meeting of the commission as soon as possible. The commission normally does not meet during the summer, and their next scheduled meeting is not until September.

"We're back to where we were six years ago when we started, not knowing where to go," White said. "The town voted to do the same thing it has done the last 10 years, which is nothing."

After the vote he said volunteers have been working toward a plan for a new library since 2002.

Lingenfelter said the proposals since then have all been essentially the same, all with a price of more than $10 million. "Tuesday showed that town residents clearly do not support such a proposal," he said.

He said many residents are worried right now about where money will come from, especially when winter comes and heating costs rise. He also attributed the "no" vote to preservation efforts and residents seeing better options.

Many said before and after voting that they didn't want to see higher taxes.

"It came down to price, size and location, none of which were right in most people's minds," Lingenfelter said Thursday.